Bung



No 4 1952 l.. c. KAPPES ET A1. 2,616,582

BUNG

Filed NOV. 28. 1950 Bmaentors,

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Patented Nov. 4, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BUNG Louis C. Kappes and Lyall F. Whitney, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignors to Whitney-Kappes Co., Cincinnati, Ohio, a partnership Application November Z8, 1950, Serial No. 197,936

4 claims. l

This invention relates to a bung and more particularly to that class of bung wherein rubber or similar material is compressed so as to expand laterally in order to make sealing contact with the side walls of an aperture. Such bungs are used particularly in connection with beer barrels which may be of wood or aluminum or other material.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a bung ci extremely simple construction which will be inexpensive to manufacture and which will perform its purpose erliciently. It is another object of the present invention to provide such a bung which will be neat in appearance and which may be easily applied and removed when desired.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide in association and combination with such a bung a seal member which can be applied to the bung after it has been secured in place in the barrel to prevent tampering with the bung and to indicate positively when the bung has been tampered with.

These and other objects of the invention which will beset forth in more detail hereinafter or which will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading these specifications we accomplish by that certain construction and arrangement of parts of which we shall now describe an exemplary embodiment.

Reference is now made to the drawings forming a part hereof and in which:

Figure l is a plan view of a bung according to our invention.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of the same taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is an exploded view similar to Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional View of a wooden barrel showing the bung according to our inventio'n in place.

Figure 5 is a plan view oi Figure 4, and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view of a metal barrel showing how the bung of our invention is used.

Briefly, in the practice of our invention We provide a bung comprising a body and a pressure plate, the body being embraced by alternate rubber-like gaskets and shims and the pressure plate being arranged to bear against said gasket and shims, together with means for squeezing said pressure plate and body together. The two above mentioned parts are squeezed together by means of a threaded stud secured to the pressure plate and extending through an aperture in the body and a nut arranged to engage the threaded stud. We also provide means in the nature of a seal to 2 a be fitted over the combined stud and nut within the body to prevent unauthorized tampering with the nut.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the body is indicated at Iii and the pressure plate at i I. These parts are made of suitable metal and may be extruded in a die. The body member ID is provided with a central aperture I2 and has the more or less cylindrical body portion I3 and an outwardly extending flange Ill. The body portion I3 may have a slight curvature imparted to it as shown, but it may, as well, be perfectly cylindrical.

The pressure plate is also provided with a central hole into which is tted a stud I5 threaded as at I6 and provided with a flange II. Beyond the flange Il the stud is provided with an up standing collar I8 indicated in broken lines in Figure 3 having an external diameter to pass through the hole in the pressure plate i I and the upstanding collar I8 is then swaged over as indicated at I9 to lock the stud securely to the pressure plate II. Sealing engagement of the bung with the walls of the aperture in which it is placed is accomplished by a series of gaskets 20a, Zlib and 20c. The gaskets 20a and b are spaced' by the shim 2Id and the gaskets 26D and 20c are'spaced by the shim 2 Ib. It will be observed that the gasket 20a is largest in diameter; the gasket 26h is slightly smaller; and the gasket 2Ilc is still smaller. Similarly the shim 2 Ib is smaller than the shim 2Ia, while their internal diameters, that is, the internal diameters of all gaskets and all the shims is substantially equal. When the gaskets 20a, b and c and the shims 2Ia and b are assembled as shown over the body portion I3 of the body member I0 and the pressure plate II is applied a washer 22 is placed over the stud I5 and a nut 23 is engaged with the threads I6. The assembled bung is shown most clearly in Figure 2.

It will be clear that when the nut 23 is tightened on the stud I5 the pressure plate will be drawn up against the assembled shims and gas-l kets which will thus be compressed between the flange I4 of the body portion I0 and the pressure plate II. In being compressed, the individual gaskets 20a, 20h and 20c are caused to expand radially into sealing engagement with the inner surface of the aperture in which the bung is placed. It will be understood that with the tapered configuration of the assembled gaskets which are arranged to conform to the taper in the aperture or bung hole of the conventional barrel equal sealing contact is attained with each of the gaskets 22a, 29h and 26o and therefore the bung according to our invention is enabled to withstand very great pressures. As a matterof fact, we have determined that, as tightened with an ordinary socket wrench into a barrel subjected to an internal pressure of one hundred nity pounds per square inch, the bung remained absolutely secure, even when the barrel was dropped from a height of ten feet or more.

In Figure 4 we have shown a portion of a conventional barrel at 25 and, as is usual in such cases, the bung hole is constituted by an externally threaded, internally tapered bushing meniber 2S. The member 26 is threadedinto the side wall of the barrel and remains a part of the barrel.

In Figure 6 we have indicatedafragment. of a conventional metal barrel at 27 and have'indicated how a portion of the wall of the barrel is thickened as at 28 to provide for the bung hole 29. The bung shown in Figure 6 is identical with that shown in Figure 2. Similarly the bung in Figure 4 is also identical to that shown in'Figure 2.

In Figure 4 we have shown in broken lines a sealing member or cap 39. This member may be made of relatively thin inexpensive metal and may bear an imprint of a date as shown in Fige ure 5. The member 30 is pressed into position as shown in solid lines in Figure 4 over the nut 25S and it is of such size that it must be forced into position. When once in position it cannot be removed without destroying it. Fir example, in order to remove the seal 30 it may be necessary to puncture it with an ice pick or a can opener or a similar instrument in order to gain 'access to the nut 23 when it is desired to remove the bung for washing. As long as the seal or cap member 23 is in position as shown in solid lines in Figure 4 and as shown in Figure 5 it is evident that the keg has not been tampered with, and the date on which the keg was filled may be read on the seal. The cap member 39 of course has the additional function of keeping dirt, dust and gritty particles away from the nut 23 and the threads it so that the life of thebung is enhanced. As seen in Figure 4, it will be noted that'the conformation of the sealing member 3i? is such that it ts snugly Within the slightly curved body wall portion l 3 of the body member l 0. Thus the lowerrim of the sealing cap 30 must be slightly compressed in order tobe'seated in theposition of Figure 4. This will insure that it will not readily be unseated and that it cannot be pulled out manually. Ifthe body Wall I3 is cylindrical.. then of course reliance must be had upon a tight press t of the cap 3D.

It will be clear that'numerous modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of our invention. We therefore do not intend to limit ourselves in any way other than as set forth in the claims which follow.

Having now fully described our invention, what We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A bung for'sealing a container opening comprising a cup-like flanged body member having a central aperture, a pressure plate provided with a central threaded stud passing through said aperture, a plurality oi' rubber-like gaskets embracing said body member between said ange and said pressure plate, a substantially rigid metallic shim between each two adjacent gaskets, and a nut engaging said threaded stud by means of which said individual gaskets may be compressed and caused to expand radially to seal said container opening, all of said gaskets and shims having substantially the same inside diameter, but the outside diameters being of progressively different size, whereby upon insertion of said bung in a tapered container opening and tightening of rsaidnut, the individual gaskets .makesubstantiaaly uniform and equal sealing contact withsad tapered opening.

2. In Combination with the structure of claim l, a destructable sealing cap having an outside diameter slightly larger than the inside diameter of said cup-like body member, and of a height slightly greater thansaidnut, but less thanthe depth of said cup-like body member, said cap being pressed into position within said cup-like body member, covering and protecting said nut.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein the inside diameter of said cup-like body is greater at its bottom than at its open top, in combination with a destructable sealing cap having an outside conformation complementary to that of the inside wall of said cup-like body, and of a height slightly greater than said nut, but less than the depth of said cup-like body said cap being pressed into position within said cup-like body member, covering and protecting said nut.

4. The structure of claim 1 in which all of said gaskets and shims have substantially the same inside diameter but wherein the outside diameters are ofprogressively diiTerent size whereby upon insertion of said bung in a tapered container opening and tightening of said nut, the

individual gaskets make substantially uniform and equal sealing contact with said tapered opening, and wherein the inside diameter of said cup-like body is greater at its bottom than at its open top, in combination with a destructable sealing cap having an outside conformation complementary to that of the inside wall of said cup-like body and of a height slightly greater than said nut, but less than the depth of said body, said cap being pressed into position within said cup-like body member, covering and protecting said nut.

LOUIS C. KAPPES.

LYALL F. WHITNEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

